She'd lost…
Tomori exhaled softly, yet felt a profound sense of satisfaction in her heart.
Throughout their battle, Satoshi had undoubtedly given it his all. Their emotions collided fiercely, allowing her to grasp clearly what was in his heart.
He loved Pokémon and Pokémon battles purely, exactly like herself.
In fact, the bond between Satoshi and Froakie surpassed even her own with Piplup.
They moved as one—during the battle, Satoshi had trusted Froakie implicitly, never wavering even slightly.
If it's with Satoshi, we really could battle Pokémon together forever.
Tomori's cheeks grew warm, her thoughts lingering stubbornly on that very idea.
"Was Tomori always this strong?" Anon muttered in disbelief, watching the battle. The Tomori she saw just days ago hadn't displayed such remarkable skill.
Could it be…did she hold back last time? No…no, there was no reason for that at all.
So, that had truly been Tomori's full power?
Realizing this, Anon broke into a cold sweat.
The intensity of their battle drew the attention of many classmates, prompting murmurs of admiration. If she could form a team with Satoshi and Tomori…
That would be incredibly eye-catching!
"Hehehe~~"
Anon's mood brightened, and her lips curled into a slightly silly, delighted smile.
"You did great, Tomori! You nearly beat me there," Satoshi praised, approaching Tomori and extending his hand.
Tomori stared at his outstretched hand, swallowing nervously as her body trembled slightly. Gathering courage, she finally spoke up.
"Satoshi…would you battle Pokémon with me for life?"
"Of course, no problem!"
Without hesitation, Satoshi grasped her hand. Tomori had asked as solemnly as if confessing her feelings, and Satoshi's unwavering, decisive response left a deep, lasting impression, strengthening their bond.
[Satodear, flirting this blatantly, aren't you worried she might fall in love with you? You've already got Soyo. This is dangerous, isn't it? (`ω`)]
Cut it out with your romance fantasies! There's no way Soyo actually likes me.
I'm just looking for someone who'll battle Pokémon alongside me forever.
Satoshi silently retorted to Furiko's usual unreliable teasing—he certainly couldn't trust her wild notions.
[Sob, sob… girls like me who secretly love you sure have it tough~~~]
Stop fooling around!
Refocusing his attention, Satoshi tightened his grip gently around Tomori's hand.
"I look forward to our future battles."
"Yes…" Tomori replied shyly, her cheeks burning red. For reasons unknown, her heart wouldn't stop pounding wildly.
Just then, overhearing their conversation, Anon hurriedly ran up, pointing at herself.
"Um…what about me?"
"I…I can also battle Pokémon with you forever."
As a realist, Anon nervously uttered words completely at odds with her actual thoughts.
After all, only strange people could easily speak of commitments lasting "forever"—and yet the two people before her clearly qualified as unusual.
One was obsessed with Pokémon battles; the other was a girl practically tuned into another frequency.
Anon, feeling entirely too normal by comparison, couldn't shake the feeling that she didn't quite fit in.
"Yeah, Anon too," Tomori said, smiling softly, visibly happy.
As for Satoshi, his inner thoughts were simply…
Let's have Pokémon battles together!
Normally, after forming a team, students could access decent training facilities equipped with various training devices. Though not fully professional-grade, they were more than adequate for student trainers.
After officially forming a team, they could participate in group battles. In regions like Galar or Paldea, [Dynamax] and [Tera Raid] battles were common, although these weren't particularly relevant to Kanto. Still, entering competitions as a team meant earning points.
With enough points, students could qualify for the prestigious High School Pokémon League and even purchase useful items.
For instance, Satoshi's current obsession: move-learning TMs.
Having a Pokémon like Piplup learn [Hydro Pump] from its early stages was truly incredible.
He was already eager to teach Raichu [Electroweb] and [Volt Switch], and Froakie moves like [Hydro Pump] and [Ice Beam]. [Blizzard]…well, accuracy seemed problematic.
"Wait…this is real life. Would [Blizzard] really have poor accuracy here?"
Satoshi reconsidered. Earlier, Piplup's [Hydro Pump] clearly demonstrated superior strength and reliability compared to moves like [Water Gun].
Maybe game logic was restricting his thoughts.
Perhaps items couldn't be held, or moves weren't limited to just four—
"Furiko."
[Hmm~ Miss Furiko won't spoil anything! Satodear needs to figure this out himself~]
As useless as ever…
Satoshi sighed lightly, deciding not to dwell on it further.
Regardless, Tomori had taught him a valuable lesson today: never underestimate any opponent.
...
"Gulp~ gulp~"
Satoshi sipped his drink alongside his Pokémon, sitting next to Anon and Tomori, all of them watching television.
Meeting up with Sakiko for Rillaboom would have to wait another two hours—she still had work to finish. Unfazed, Satoshi had opted for team practice instead.
At the moment, their team almost had six members—enough to confidently participate in upcoming tournaments.
As for where those six came from?
They'd essentially recruited through battles…
Strangely enough, Kaname Raana hadn't shown up yet.
Satoshi chose to trust she would arrive—don't ask why. Trust didn't need reasons, after all!
"We've booked the training ground~" Soyo's voice chimed softly, accompanied by a gentle smile as she approached with Shiina Taki by her side.
While Satoshi didn't fully understand their past, he was certain that Tomori, Soyo, and Taki had previously formed the team called CRYCHIC.
Taki clearly had a strong fondness for Tomori, so Soyo had pulled her into their new team without hesitation.
But oddly, none of them wanted to discuss CRYCHIC at all.
The world sure feels small sometimes…
Satoshi quietly noted to himself.
With the training field secured, they could finally begin practicing in earnest.
Together, they headed to the facility.
"It's probably better if we pair off first for training, to clearly identify areas for improvement," Soyo suggested gently, her fingers lightly resting against her cheek.
"Agreed."
"Sounds good."
"Tomori, pair with me."
"Mm…"
Everyone nodded, having no objections.
Hearing their agreement, Soyo immediately seized Satoshi's hand.
"Then I'll pair with Satoshi! After all, I haven't battled you yet. You don't mind, right?"
"No problem at all!" Satoshi firmly declared, holding her hand tighter.
Ah~ Satoshi, LOVE~
Soyo's face instantly flushed pink, excitement clearly bubbling within her.
However, pairing up would typically be straightforward—but right now, they only had five people!
"Eh?"
Anon stared blankly as Satoshi was promptly taken by Soyo, and Tomori by Taki.
"What about me?" Anon tilted her head, pointing at herself, her voice filled with genuine confusion.